Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 (5 page)

“I know this is all terrifying for you and there is really nothing I can say or do that will lessen it. Just know, he is in the best of hands and we’ll do everything we can.”

“Thanks.”

I meant it, I was very thankful. It just seemed such an empty word.

“I’ll keep you up to date on what’s happening.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

“I didn’t think you were. I’ll be around again later in the day unless I’m needed earlier.”

I nodded as he turned and left.

No, I wasn’t even going to let myself contemplate his need to come around earlier.

“Don’t you go doing anything crazy or reckless, Seth Harris. You’ve still got some explaining to do about why you were driving last night. You and I will have words about that one when you’re well, but until then, you need to get better and out of this bed.”

S
aturday rolled
through into Sunday and then Sunday into Monday. Seth’s condition hadn’t changed. He hadn’t gotten any better, nor had his condition deteriorated which the doctors were taking as a positive. We’d taken turns being with him throughout the last couple of days and, already, it was starting to wear.

I was no stranger to hospitals. When we’d been in the fire, a few years back, I’d spent about a week admitted dealing with a little smoke inhalation and some minor burns. It was one thing to be the patient. It was something very different to be the supporter.

Eden had been in and out of hospital so many times. However, she never left for the first several months. During that time, my parents, Tori, and I all spent countless hours beside her bed. It never got easier.

Yes, they needed you to be there but it was often dead boring and you felt bad for feeling bored as you sat in those uncomfortable chairs.

Those feelings were coupled with the anxiousness of not knowing how they were going to recover and, in both cases, all the questions around the events that led to the hopsitalisations.

It was a vicious circle of emotions—one that fast became tiring. These hospital bedside vigils were sort of the equivalent of ultra marathons—a test of sheer endurance and willpower for both patient and those caring for them.

Before I could relieve Xander and Eden, who were at the hospital this morning, I needed to go into work and make some arrangements for leave. There was no way I could go to work when this was going on.

I pushed through the glass door of Tanner Properties. I’d purposely come in a little later than normal. John, my boss, was already at his desk. In fact, the dozen or so others who worked here all seemed to be in the office as well this morning. Just my luck.

Rather than making my way over to my desk, I moved straight over to John. I might as well get this over and done with as soon as possible.

He looked up at me with a little curiosity and a lot of annoyance at me obviously not being at my desk where he thought I should be. John, in his early thirties, was the number one sales representative in the firm. His last name also happened to be the same as the one on the signage over the door and the signs we tapped into the ground in front of properties we listed.

“Running late today, Soph, what’s up?”

“Hey John, I was hoping we could go grab a coffee, I have some stuff I need to discuss with you.” Even though the rest of the staff were
busy
,
I felt their curiosity boring into me as they did their best to appear occupied all the while eavesdropping on my conversation.

“Give me five minutes. I just need to get this email out.” There was an edge to his voice. It wasn’t so much the words he used, rather the tone. John was always polite. It was very much the tone that differentiated his real meaning.

“How about I go and grab a table and order coffee down at the Magic Bean?”

“Fine. I’ll be there in less than ten.”

I didn’t call past my desk, nor did I bother speaking to anyone else in the office. We all got on okay and I felt I was doing well, however, I knew a lot of the other women in the office didn’t accept me. My mother always said jealousy was a curse and, unfortunately, my physical appearance often created a wall.

Many women resented the fact I was attractive. Just like people judged others for being too fat, too thin, too whatever—I was too attractive, relative to many others.

Regardless how hard I tried, there was nothing I could do about the fact I was close to six-foot-tall and had the looks of a runway model. People seemed to forget, I hadn’t asked to look like this. It was the way I was born. Just like the woman to my left was short and had red hair—she’d been born that way. Or the one that had the desk in front of me, she was medium height with, big, totally non-surgically enhanced boobs. Again, just the way she’d been born.

Why didn’t people get it?

They were nice enough to my face, behind my back was another story. People were so stupid. They figured others didn’t realize they were sniggering. Didn’t notice it. As if!

My male colleagues were another story and that was the problem. The women were jealous of how the guys treated me. The men were more aware of me and all too eager to help me in whatever way they could and I knew that was predominately because of the way I looked.

Right from when I’d started, there had been a few offers of dates and several awkward situations which I’d managed to dodge. Problem was, I’d had to do the brush offs and rejections with a little finesse.

I was at the bottom of the ladder and I had ambition. One day, I wanted my name to be the one over the door and on the signs we hammered into the ground. That meant I had to be smart about how I played office politics, which irked me to no end.

Over the last couple of years, I’d worked my butt off to get my first two qualifications out of the way, meaning I could act as a real estate sales person. Now, I just had to finalise some paperwork and I’d have my Diploma completed and the licence to open my own agency.

This job at Tanner Properties, was all about getting me experience and John had one of the best sales records in the state. He moved a lot of properties and, for the last year, I’d been his right hand which, more often than not, should have attracted the official title of “Shit Kicker.”

I ordered the coffee and selected a little table out in the courtyard that was tucked into the corner. John arrived and took the seat opposite me just as the waitress placed our coffees on the table.

John settled himself and stirred a sugar into his coffee, then looked at me expectantly.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about? It sounds serious.”

“It is.”

Where did I start? How did I explain our relationship?

“Um, I’m going to need to take a bit of time off.”

He looked surprised. “Oh, what’s up?”

“My friend was in a very serious car accident on Friday night. He’s in a coma and pretty badly banged up. I need to be with him.”

“That’s awful. Is he going to be okay?” His words sounded concerned but the emotion didn’t reach his eyes.

“It’s too soon to tell, apparently. He needs additional surgery in the next couple of days to stabilize his pelvis and we won’t know about anything further until he wakes up. I need to be at the hospital with him. His family is not close.”

“So, what did you have in mind? I understand your predicament and, technically, you’re entitled to carer’s leave for family but you said he was a friend…”

And this is where it was about to get difficult. John was the smooth and cagey type. I’d treaded very carefully around him since I started because I’d gotten a certain vibe off him. Under the flashy whitened teeth smile, the tanning salon skin tone, and the hundred dollar hair cut, he was really ruthless and all about John.

“Well, I’m owed a couple of weeks holiday leave. I thought I could start by taking those, then see how it goes. Although I need to be up front and tell you that I’m probably going to be needing to help him once he gets home. I really don’t know the full extent yet.”

John’s eyes narrowed and I braced for his displeasure. Behind the usual layer of charm was something very unpleasant.

“All this for a friend. Must be some friend?” He raised his eyebrows pointedly.

Fuck it! What did it matter anyway? John was the type who would put his own spin or unpleasantness on it anyway.

“Seth and I have been seeing each other for a few months.”

I watched John stiffen. “So, you’re going to jeopardize your career for some guy when you only just got your licence? You can’t take time off now.”

It was my turn to be stunned and, suddenly, very pissed off. “I’m sorry, how am I jeopardizing my career?”

He shook his head. “Sophia, you think you’re the only hungry young agent out there? What do you think will happen when word gets around amongst vendors and clients for that matter, that your friends are more important than selling their properties?”

“It’s not as if I’m the only agent in the office. In fact, you haven’t even let me have any of my own clients yet. I’m not sure I see the problem for the vendors or buyers.” There was no problem. His excuse was bullshit and we both knew it. John wasn’t known to be generous in sharing clients with other staff. He did just enough to make sure he kept his sales staff but not an ounce more. That’s why staff turnover was so high. I wish I’d have known that before I took the job. Once I’d started, I had to stick it out for a while. I didn’t want my resume to look like I got flighty and chopped and changed jobs often.

The truth was, John had been promising me some clients of my own for the last three months. To date, every prospect that had contacted the office, he’d snavelled or handed to Ted or Mike. He always had a feasible excuse for why they weren’t the right client for me to begin working with.

As if there ever was the right client? Wasn’t that part of the deal with being a salesperson? You needed to assess the persons needs, then figure out the properties that best suited their requirements.

“Nor am I likely to give you your own portfolio in the future with this attitude.”

“Attitude...my boyfriend is in the ICU currently in a coma and I have an attitude? What if it was your girlfriend?”

“I don’t do attachments for this very reason. Why do you think I’m so successful?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was this really what it was like with him?

“I’m sorry, Sophia. I really don’t think it’s possible. We had this discussion when you joined. No entanglements to prevent you from doing your job.”

“I’m not sure I recall the conversation going that way. You made it very clear I was not to get involved with any other members of the team, which I haven’t.” In fact, I’d gone out of my way to make sure that I didn’t give anyone ideas. I’m sure they called me the Ice Queen behind my back. I couldn’t care less. I was determined to achieve my dreams and I fully expected it would take a few years.

Right then, I knew I had no further future at Tanner Properties, I just needed to keep this job until I could find something else. I was seriously struggling to remain cordial. All I wanted to do was tell him to stick his job up his arse sideways.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Well, I haven’t broken the terms of that discussion, so I’m at a loss to see the issue?”

He huffed and puffed a little before his face pulled into a hard scowl. John did not like to be challenged. “You can have your two weeks leave. I hope you realize how inconvenient your timing is.”

I sat up as if I’d been slapped. No one chose when they had an accident.

“Thank you. I’ll keep in touch and let you know how things are going.”

I rose from the table and went to leave, my coffee untouched.

“Sophia, I recommend you keep it to the two weeks leave you are owed.” The look in his eyes was cold and hard.

Rather than answer, I nodded stiffly. Words escaped me at that moment, smothered by the rage I felt at his insensitivity. If I opened my mouth further, I was almost certain to regret it.

If having Seth laid up wasn’t enough, it suddenly seemed like I was going to be looking for a new job as well.

My hands shook in frustration and fury on the steering wheel all the way to the hospital. I couldn’t even begin to describe how angry I was at the way John had treated me.

For the last year, I’d worked my butt off for that prick. Each day, I’d gone to work diligently and done every shit job and met every request he’d thrown at me. Not once had the arsehole said “thank you” or given me a hint of praise. Praise I could do without—common manners were another thing.

Something else became clear to me as I drove to the hospital.
I’d been kidding myself.
I’d been convincing myself I just had to work harder and keep proving my abilities to him—prove to John that I was worth mentoring. I’d never critically looked at our working relationship.

Fucking idiot
.

I’d been used.

I had two weeks to figure out what I was going to do and so much of that depended on how Seth was doing.

When I walked into the ICU a little later, I was greeted by Xander and Eden. They saw me from beside Seth’s bed and immediately came over. We went into the family lounge.

“What’s up?” Eden took one look at me and knew there was something wrong.

“I’ve just come from talking to my boss about some time off.”

“Didn’t go well?” There was worry in her eyes.

“Nope…he’s a prick. He begrudgingly let me have two weeks holiday leave but that’s it. You’d swear Seth conspired to have the accident just to cause a problem for him…seriously, ahhhh.” I felt like screaming in frustration and I probably would have if I hadn’t been in the middle of a hospital.

Xander and Eden looked between them. Something unspoken was said and I saw her nod slightly to him. They were so right for each other. Whenever they were in the same room, they just seemed to gravitate to one another. Two pieces locking into place—yin and yang.

“How about we try and fit in a training session this afternoon? Dane’s going to come in around lunchtime. We could train then you could head back here for the evening.” My brother-in-law knew me well. Xander knew I needed regular activity, otherwise, I started to go stir crazy.

Martial arts training served as activity, plus, it was something I loved to do. In fact, just last week, Xander had suggested I might want to start working towards fighting seriously. There was an amateur card coming up in a few months. I was keen to give it a shot. It seemed like the natural progression for me from all the training I did. I had no idea if that would even be possible now.

I glanced over at Seth and I felt torn. “Umm, I…”

“A couple of hours out of here will do you good,” Eden suggested. She didn’t say that none of us had any idea how long we’d be here. For that, I was thankful. Somehow, it was easier if we didn’t voice the obvious.

“Okay, Gem, let’s go get something to drink. I’m sure Soph will want a bit of time with Seth.” If I didn’t know the context, Xander’s words could have almost been dirty. Yeah, I could forget anything like that with Seth for the foreseeable future; right now, all I could think about was him opening those stormy blue-grey eyes again. Then, I started to panic about what would happen when he did.